'You reckon?' is developed from an idea distributed free to UK schools by the Bowland Trust. You can access the original materials at Bowlandmaths.org

Learning Objective:

• we are learning to make plausible estimates of real-life amounts and values
• we are learning to test out claims and ideas by finding data, making sensible guesses and doing some quick mental and paper arithmetic to see if these claims or ideas work
• this lesson outline actually addresses lots of other learning objectives - so many they're listed in this document:

Investing:

• This is useful because everyday we read, hear or watch information that is based on a bit of fact and some potentially dodgy calcuations - we need to become a critical audience and check that what we're being told makes sense before we believe it
• We might use this skill in a real-life context by looking at some newspaper articles. Do these sound reasonable to you?

from the Daily Mail, 22 Jan 2012

the Daily Mail, 22 Jan 2012

• Here's a slideshow of newspaper claims from a particular day in 2008:

credit: Bowland maths

• This skill leads to mathematical and scientific estimation and checking of results.
• This could help you if you want to work! Almost every job requires the skills of estimation and quick calculation.

Preparing:

• Let's try investigating a simple claim:
• It's a busy day on a busy street in LEGO city. Everything seems to be pretty normal until...

• The bank manager says that the robber ran away with £5000 in pound coins.
• The bank's insurance company aren't so sure.
• Imagine you work for the insurers. Do you believe the bank manager? Why or why not?

• Related Bowland resources:

Stop Thief Presentation.ppt

• Details
• Download
• 216 KB

Stop Thief task.doc

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• 84 KB

Stop Thief teaching notes.doc

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• 100 KB

Modeling:

• Here is one possible approach:

Discussing:

• What would this one be? Tell your learning partner. Convince them you're right.
• Explain how you know.
• How would you explain this to someone who was new to it?

Explaining:

• One way to do this is...
• Another approach might be...
• A useful shortcut is to...
• This works because...
• It doesn't work when...
• An exception is...
• Watch out for...
• A common mistake is...
• You can check your result by...
• We can prove this works by...

Practicing:

• Some straightforward examples.
• Some harder examples.
• Some mixed examples.
• Some non-examples to spot and some mixed questions with redundant, insufficient or contradictory data.
• You can develop your skills by exploring some of the claims investigated at:
  • the Channel 4 News FactCheck Blog

• the BBC Radio 4 More or Less podcasts:

Sharing:

• A web page or wiki I have created to explain this can be found at...
• A presentation I have created and rehearsed looks like...
• A poster I have drawn or model I have made can be found...

Assessing:

• Check you've mastered this skill by...
• Show you understand by explaining...
• Prove you're an expert in... by...

Developing:

• Next we could learn...
• This leads to...
• Now try...

last edited: Jan 22, 2012 3:17 pm